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"The Kennedys" may not have earned many adoring reviews, but the miniseries did set a record for the previously little-known ReelzChannel.

Sunday's premiere of the sprawling eight-hour epic about the American political dynasty, starring Greg Kinnear, Katie Holmes and Tom Wilkinson, delivered 1.9 million total viewers in its original airing plus an encore immediately afterward, according to the Nielsen Co. The first airing earned a 1.7 household rating, well past the goal the network set of a 1.0 rating.

Needless to say, "The Kennedys" -- which was dumped from the History channel schedule after historians and Kennedy family defenders complained about its accuracy -- is the most-watched program in the history of ReelzChannel, a 5-year-old outlet best known for airing movies, trailers and movie-review shows. The show drew mostly mixed or negative notices from critics.

"Viewers across America showed their ongoing fascination with the Kennedy family and, specifically, their desire to see such a star-studded cast in the highly anticipated 'The Kennedys,' " ReelzChannel Chief Executive Stan E. Hubbard said in a statement. "In acquiring 'The Kennedys' our aim was to give viewers an opportunity to watch an incredible movie event with massive star power and to also put a spotlight on our network like never before."